Sunday 27 October 2013

Iris Wildthyme of Mars

I have a brief but exciting announcement to make. My submission for the upcoming book Iris Wildthyme of Mars has been selected for inclusion by editor Philip Purser-Hallard. This is the next Iris Wildthyme volume to be published by Obverse Books, and will feature the transtemporal adventuress visiting various versions of the Red Planet. Here's the blurb:

 Is Mars a dead and sterile desert, or teeming with life? Are the Martians long gone, or waiting still? Will we become the Martians? Will humanity settle Mars in gleaming antiseptic domes, or terraform it into a lush new paradise? Will invaders from Earth come from the skies, raining down death on the innocent canal-dwellers? Are the Martians beautiful humanoids or tentacular monstrosities? Unfallen angels, devils welcoming us in order to corrupt us – or worse? Will humanity’s Mars colonies be utopian or hellish? How many different colours can you put in front of ‘Mars’ to make a clever title?
     These Marses are, of course, mutually incompatible, contradictory and in many cases quite impossible. And Iris Wildthyme has visited them all.


My story is going under the working title "Lieut: Gullivar Jones: His Bad Weekend." I might change that, but for now I'm pretty happy with it. It's a sequel to Edwin Lester Linden Arnold's 1905 novel Lieut: Gullivar Jones: His Vacation, better known as Gullivar of Mars (also spelled Gulliver). which was something of a milestone in science fiction and fantasy. It comes across as very dated now, and is ripe for the Wildthyme treatment.

I'm very excited to be working with Mr PPH, and the wonderful folk at Obverse Books. This is my first ever paid fiction commission, so it's a pretty big deal for me. I shall keep everyone updated on its progress. I've just got to write the thing now.

It's a shame I can't include any Doctor Who characters in there though. I'd love to have Sil the Mentor turn up, just so that he can sneer "Gullivuuurrgh..."

1 comment:

  1. The gin-fuelled homage sounds like the perfect fit for the transtemporal adventuress. I can't wait to read it. Congratulations again.

    ReplyDelete